


Megatron and Starscream's Relationship from an Astrological Point of View: An Essay

by sphinx01



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One
Genre: Astrology, Essays, Non-fictional, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-29
Updated: 2018-07-29
Packaged: 2019-06-17 04:31:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15453402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sphinx01/pseuds/sphinx01
Summary: If Transformers had star signs, it would explain a lot about these two.





	Megatron and Starscream's Relationship from an Astrological Point of View: An Essay

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Essay: The Astrology of Starscream's Death and Resurrection in G1](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4592994) by [grayseeker](https://archiveofourown.org/users/grayseeker/pseuds/grayseeker). 



**Megatron and Starscream's Relationship from an Astrological Point of View:  
An Essay**

**xxx**

**Foreword**

A while ago, I had the pleasure of reading grayseeker’s impressive essay “The Astrology of Starscream's Death and Resurrection in G1”, in which she gives a sound and detailed description of the heavenly influences on our favorite Seeker’s life. I was especially enthralled by her assertion that, translated into the human zodiac, Starscream and Megatron match the archetypes of Scorpio (with Aries Rising) and Capricorn (with Virgo Rising), respectively.

Being an inquisitive Scorpio myself, I began to dig a little deeper into this, and what I found shed such a fascinating light on the relationship between those two that I decided to share my findings.

Comments and constructive criticism are of course very welcome!

**Introduction**

Postulating that human zodiac sign archetypes can be applied to fictional alien characters, I asked myself three main questions about Starscream’s and Megatron’s relationship:

  1. What may have influenced their decision to enter into a partnership in the first place?
  2. Why is their relationship as we know it so dysfunctional? What went wrong?
  3. With all the bad blood between them, why do they hold on to the relationship?



There is of course a wide variety of possible answers to those questions. In this essay, I will focus solely on the astrological aspects. This is not to negate any other options or opinions, but solely for practical reasons.

To make the text easier to follow, I will first concentrate on the influential aspects of Megatron’s zodiac sign, Capricorn, and then go into detail as to how Starscream’s Scorpio characteristics either complement or collide with these aspects. Information on the Rising signs’ impact (if any) will be given in the same fashion.

I decided not to stipulate a specific kind of partnership. The ideas I came up with can easily be applied to a platonic, a romantic, or a professional relationship, and in my opinion, all three are equally valid. This interpretation is therefore up to the reader.

**Chapter 1: Kick-Off**

Over the years, canon has provided us with a number of scenarios as to when and how our two favorite Decepticons first met. The two essential points seem to be that Starscream is not only one of Megatron’s earliest followers, but also quickly assumes a key position within the Decepticon hierarchy. So, if we leave strategical reasons aside, what could have prompted Megatron to let a lofty, impatient Seeker come that close to him, next to such level-headed mechs as Soundwave or Shockwave?

Let’s start with a basic fact about Capricorns: These people are the big realists of the zodiac. Being an Earth sign, two of their greatest assets are practicality and common sense. And still, the traditional zodiac depicts the Capricorn as a hybrid creature with the upper body of a goat and the tail of a fish or snake, both of which symbolize emotions and inner wisdom. Buried under all that pragmatism, Capricorn people usually harbor an imaginative, romantic core, and they tend to be drawn to more outgoing, playful characters who can help them uncover and explore this hidden side of themselves.

I don’t find it very hard to imagine that this may have played a role in Megatron’s decision to get involved with Starscream. Scorpios are renowned for their passion and emotiveness, and we have been provided with countless examples for Starscream possessing those traits in abundance, sometimes up to the point where one can get the impression that he lets his feelings cloud his better judgement. A Capricorn character would surely be fascinated by so much passion.

The combination also works the other way round. Like all Water signs, Scorpios tend to gravitate towards the consistency and stability the Earth signs can provide to counterbalance their own impulsiveness. In the IDW story line, Starscream first met Megatron when the latter was undergoing surgery, totally unfazed by the fact that he was currently missing an arm (The Transformers: Megatron Origin #3). While this tower-of-strength attitude would certainly impress anybody, the impact may be even stronger on a Scorpio person. Remember how silver-tongued Starscream began to stutter when he addressed Megatron in this situation?

It is not a contradiction that we’ve seen Megatron lose his cool in basically every G1 cartoon episode in existence. The main difference between Capricorns and Scorpios is that the latter _thrive_ on their vivid emotions. One of their basic attitudes is: I have to feel it, otherwise it’s not real. In contrast, it may be possible to bring a Capricorn to the point of an emotional outburst, but they will most likely find it more disturbing than enjoyable. It is my strong impression that Megatron is always happiest when things go smoothly and fuss-free. Starscream, on the other hand, is frequently portrayed as someone who actively looks for a confrontation with his commanding officer - sometimes, it seems, solely for the benefit of getting his attention. This is nicely illustrated in the cartoon when he screams at Megatron: “Nobody turns his back on me!” (The Transformers ep. 62, “Starscream’s Brigade”).

I am also quite certain that Megatron’s short temper is a result of him acting out the more negative aspects of his Capricorn qualities. I will come back to this in detail later.

Closely connected to all this is a Capricorn trait which may be called the “mystery solver”. Deep down, most Capricorn people have a profound desire to get to the bottom of the secrets of life, and for these down-to-earth people, the vast realm of emotions and sentiments often proves to be the biggest secret life has to offer. In Megatron’s case, this may even be intensified by the influence of his Rising sign, for Virgos usually possess a natural affinity for analyzing, dissecting and categorizing whatever new experience they come across. Could it be that the proud, fiery Seeker pledging his allegiance to him posed an intriguing enigma Megatron decided to unravel?

_Second-in-Command_

We have now seen some possible explanations as to why Starscream joined the Deceptions so quickly. What about his rank? Why would Megatron afford him a position which literally made him the second-most important person in the whole Decepticon movement?

Of course, the basic principle of “keeping one’s enemies closer” certainly played a role in Starscream not only getting that job, but also keeping it for so long. There may be more to it, though. As a rule, Capricorns are very target-oriented people. No matter if it’s about completing their stamp collection or dominating the universe, having a goal, and working to reach that goal, is their elixir of life. And because they attach so much importance to their chosen objectives, allowing someone to share in their ambitions is often a highly intimate act for a Capricorn, and therefore a way to express their appreciation and/or affection towards said person.

Canon gives us a prominent example for this in the form of Shockwave: A mech held in such high esteem by Megatron that he publically commends him (The Transformers ep. 62, “Starscream’s Brigade”) and who at the same time occupies one of the most important positions in the innermost circle. “Rewarding” people with key positions in his agenda seems to be Megatron’s way of expressing his appreciation. We can assume that he would applied this method to Starscream as well. It’s not a bad strategy for dealing with a Scorpio. As is typical for a Water sign, Scorpios crave approval and appreciation, and they thrive on the sensation of being needed. We may have found here a very personal reason why Starscream so jealously guards this position, and why Megatron, even after all his transgressions, never took it away from him. Starscream being Second-in-Command creates an emotional bond between them, and neither of them seems willing to let that go.

There is another prominent Capricorn feature which I believe had an impact on Starcream’s quick promotion. We have already established the importance of success and achievement for Capricorns. They are people of action who strive to change and improve their little corner of the world (or, in Megatron’s case, the universe). Coupled with their strong sense of traditional values, this makes for a deep-seated desire to pass on the fruits of their labor to a worthy heir.

Starscream certainly does possess leadership qualities: He’s ambitious, ruthless, cunning, and a staunch supporter of the Decepticon Cause. It can’t have taken Megatron very long to recognize him as a potential successor - or, at least, a suitable partner. And now he does something which ranks among the less likable traits of Capricorn people. He expects Starscream to adapt to his values and to put his advice into practice. We occasionally get glimpses of him trying to teach Starscream (in his own special way) what he considers the qualities of an accomplished leader, e.g., when he tells him: “Power flows to the one who knows _how_. Desire alone is not enough.” (The Transformers ep. 2, “More Than Meets the Eye, Part 2”). One may interpret this as: Since I am the one with the power, you’d be wise to learn from me.

Unfortunately, the one thing Scorpios absolutely can’t stand is to be kept in leading-strings. And that leads us right to our next question: Why is their relationship not working?

**Author's Note:**

>  _Disclaimer_ : I do not own The Transformers, and I do not make any money with this.


End file.
